Newspaper dispensing machine



y 1966 w. G. GREEN ETAL 3,250,432

NEWSPAPER DI SPENSING MACHINE INVENTOILS LMM 5 Giff/V3- BY 610w (1642mm;

477'0/F/V5Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 28, 1964 y 1966 w. G. GREEN ETAL 3,250,432

NEWSPAPER DISPENSING MACHINE a Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 28, 1964 y mmw Q m WGM m T M A E F United States Patent Fla.

Filed May 28, 1964, Ser. No. 370,948 1 Claim. (Cl. 221--289) The present invention relates to newspaper dispensing machines and in particular a coin actuated vending machine wherein an operating lever at one side of the machine is pulled forwardly to dispense a newspaper and wherein after releasing a newspaper the paper travels downwardly and forwardly on inclined rails by gravity to a slot through which a single paper may readily be removed.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a coin actuated newspaper dispensing machine in which means is provided to compensate for newspapers of different thicknesses and wherein only a single newspaper is dispensed with a single coin.

Conventional newspaper dispensing and vending machines are so constructed that after receiving a newspaper an operator may withdraw an additional newspaper or all newspapers in the machine without depositing an additional coin. With this thought in mind this inven tion contemplates a newspaper dispensing machine in which after depositing a coin of the proper denomination a newspaper may be withdrawn. However, the machine is provided with adjusting means to compensate for newspapers of different thicknesses and also wherein a single coin releases only a single newspaper.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a newspaper dispensing machine which only delivers one newspaper in one operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is .to provide a newspaper vending machine which is readily adjustable to compensate for newspapers of difierent thickness.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a coin actuated newspaper vending machine which is foolproof in that anewspaper is not removable from the machine until a coin of the proper denomination is deposited in the machine.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a newspaper vending machine that is readily loaded with new newspapers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a newspaper vending machine in which upon the release of a newspaper the newspaper is actuated by gravity to an opening from which the paper is readily removed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a newspaper vending machine which, after the release of one newspaper closes a discharge opening so that additional papers may not be removed without depositing additional coins.

And a still further object is to provide a newspaper vending machine which is of a comparatively simple and economical construction.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description,.drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the illustrations of the drawings as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a method by which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a housing having inclined rails leading 3,250,432 Patented May 10, 1 966 to a discharge opening or delivery chute and wherein newspapers are conveyed by gravity to said discharge opening or chute, coin controlled hand lever actuated releasing means by which newspapers are delivered to the rails, and stop means for preventing more than one newspaper being delivered to the chute with a single coin.

Other features and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the newspaper dispensing machine showing a hand lever, by which the machine is operated extending through a coin control box, a gage for setting the machine to dispense newspapers of different thicknesses and a newspaper delivery chute, with parts of the chute and front of the housing broken away.

FIGURE 2 is also a perspective view, similar to that shown in FIGURE 1 and with parts of the housing broken away showing the inclined newspaper conveying rails.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal section through the machine taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1 showing a plurality of newspapers on the inclined rails with the newspapers urged toward the delivery chute by gravity implemented by a Weighted follower slidably mounted on the rails.

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinally disposed section through the machine similar to that shown in FIGURE 3 illustrating the passage of a newspaper to the delivery chute.

FIGURE 5 is also a section through the machine similar to that shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrating the use of the machine for vending newspapers of greater thickness.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View showing a ratchet on the shaft on which the hand lever is pivotally mounted illustrating a method of preventing more than one newspaper being delivered by a single coin.

FIGURE 7 is a cross section through the pivotal mounting of the hand lever also showing the ratchet and pawl.

While one embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the above-referred-to drawings, it is to be understood that they are merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes in construction may be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that the invention may be utilized to the best advantage according to cir cumstances which may arise, without in any way departing from the spirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only in accordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated the primary field of utility. of the invention it remains obvious that it may be employed in any other capacity wherein it may be found applicable.

In the accompanying drawings, and in the following specification, the same reference characters are used to designate the same parts and elements throughout and in which the numeral 16 refers to a housing or case which is formed with an upper opening 11 having a grille 12 therein, and a lower opening 13, in which a delivery chute 14 is positioned. The chute 14 is provided with an arcuate trough 15 on the lower end and the trough is positioned to receive a newspaper 16.

The housing is provided with a cover 17 which is secured to the body thereof by hinges 18 and a lock 19, and the lower end of the housing is provided with legs 20.

The newspaper machine of the present invention is operated by a hand level 21 pivotally mounted in the housing by a shaft 22, and the shaft is provided with arms 23 and 24 that support a rod 25 from which telescoping rails 26, 27, and 28 extend. The rails are connected by an angle bar 29, which provides a brace for the rails.

The movement of the hand lever is controlled by an adjusting screw 30 that is threaded in a block 31 on the side of the frame of the machine.

The hand lever 21 extends through a slot 32 in a coin controlbox 33 and, as shown in FIGURE 1, the box 33 is provided with a coin slot 34 for receiving nickels and another slot 35 for receiving dimes. It will be understood that any suitable coin control such as the coin con- 'trols of Patents 1,257,153, 2,195,305, or 2,984,326 may be used.

The housing is provided with a gage 36 having a base 37, secured such as by welding or brazing, to the upper end of the housing, and a nut 38 threaded on a stud 39 extending from the base 37 may be adjusted to compensate for newspapers of different thicknesses. By holding the folded edge of a newspaper between the base 37 and nut 38 and turning the nut downwardly until it clamps the newspaper the proper thickness will be indicated on the stud.

The follower 40 is provided with a base 41 and the rails 26, 27 and 28 extend through openings 42in lugs 43 so that the position of the follower is adjustable whereby the follower may be moved downwardly to contact the last newspaper of a plurality of papers on the rails, as shown in FIGURE 3. The follower may be provided with a weight 44 to accentuate the gravity pull urging the newspapers downwardly on the rails. In the ratchet assembly illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 a ratchet wheel 50 mounted on the shaft 22 is positioned to mesh with a pawl 51 on the rod 25 which is supported by the arms 23 and 24 from the shaft 22, as shown in FIGURE 2. By this means a newspaper drops on the rails 26, 27 and 28, and as the hand lever 21 is actuated the newspaper drops through the assembly to the delivery chute 14 and trough 15. It would be impossible for a second newspaper to pass through the ratchet assembly until the ratchet wheel is actuated by the hand lever 21 and pawl 51.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a newspaper dispensing machine constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that the invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason it is not desired to be limited to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out the invention in practice, except as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In a newspaper dispenser, the combination which comprises: I (a) a housing having front and side walls, said side walls having inclined upper edges,

(b) laterally spaced longitudinally disposed newspaper carrying telescoping rails in the housing, said rails being in a plane parallel to the upper edges of the side walls, the front wall of said housing having an opening therein,

(0) a newspaper delivery chute extended through the opening in the front wall of the housing and mounted with the end portionthereof extended into the housing positioned to receive newspapers from said telescoping rails,

(d) a transversely disposed shaft extended through the intermediate part of said housing and rotatably mounted therein,

(e) a rod attached to the lower ends of the telescoping rails, said rod being parallel to and spaced from said shaft,

(f) arms depending from said rod and attached to the shaft,

(g) a hand lever mounted on an end of the shaft and extended upwardly therefrom, said lever being adapted to actuate the rod rearwardly of the front wall to release a single newspaper for delivery to the delivery chute,

(h) a block having a threaded opening extended therethrough positioned on an end of said housing,

(i) an adjusting screw threaded in said block and positioned to be engaged by said' hand lever to adjust the newspaper delivery area between the inner surface of said front wall of the housing and rod whereby only one newspaper may be dispensed from the housing to the chute in a single operation,

(j) a follower slidably mounted on said rails and positioned to urge newspapers downwardly on the rails,

(k) a cover hinged to the upper end of the housing,

(1) a lock for retaining the cover in the closed positioned,

(in) and a gage on the cover for ascertaining the thickness of newspapers in the housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,257,153 2/1918 Turney 221-241 1,621,960 3/ 1927 Stewart et a1. 22'1213 1,982,999 12/1934 Miller 221.2 13 2,119,548 6/ 1938 Laughery 221213 2,195,305 3/1940 Heaton 22 1-213 2,263,040 1 1/ 1941 Kaltenbach 2212:13 2,579,068 12/1951 Davis et al 221-213 RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

WALTER SOBIN, LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiners. 

